Busan is good

Busan Accelerates Creation of “15-Minute Living Area” Urban Forests: 11 Sites Including Climate-Responsive Forest at Haeundae Arboretum

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will invest KRW 13.9 billion this year to expand urban forests within 15-minute living areas, creating urban forests at 11 locations including a climate-responsive urban forest at Haeundae Arboretum.

The urban forest projects will be categorized into four types: four climate-responsive urban forests (10.4 ha), one urban wind corridor forest (1 ha), two child-safe green forests (0.4 ha), and four municipal urban forests (1.6 ha).

Climate-responsive urban forests are designed to address climate change by reducing fine dust, absorbing and storing carbon, and lowering temperatures. A total of KRW 10 billion will be invested to develop these forests at the following sites: the former railway site near Jwacheon Station (2.4 ha), Haeundae Arboretum (6 ha), Ilgwang Recreation Area (1 ha), and the buffer green space near Geumsa Interchange (IC) (1 ha).

Urban wind corridor forests will be created to channel cool, fresh air generated from forests in the city outskirts into urban areas, improving air quality. With an investment of KRW 1 billion, forest coverage will be supplemented around the parking area of Haeundae Arboretum (1 ha) through the creation of connecting forests and stepping-stone/dispersal forests.

Additionally, child-safe green forests will be established around Bongnae Elementary School in Jung-gu (0.2 ha) and Buheung Elementary School in Haeundae-gu (0.2 ha) to provide safe, pleasant, and aesthetically pleasing school routes for children. Four municipal urban forests (1.6 ha), including intersection gardening projects in Beomnaegol and Suyeong and improvements along Airport Road, will also be developed as garden-style urban forests that citizens can easily experience.

Last year (2025), the city completed the creation of three urban wind corridor forests (8 ha), including the Sasang Station Cultural Forest; two climate-responsive urban forests (3 ha), including Dadaepo Beach Park; one child-safe green forest at Singok Elementary School (0.04 ha); and two municipal urban forests (2.3 ha), including the restoration of the Jangsan ecological axis.

In October last year, the Korea Forest Service selected six “2025 Exemplary Urban Forests” that contribute to improving the urban environment and enhancing citizens’ quality of life. Among them, Busan Metropolitan City had two sites selected: Children’s Grand Park and Taejongdae Recreation Area.

Through proactive efforts to secure national funding, including from the Korea Forest Service, the city has already achieved its eighth-term municipal pledge (2022–2026), “Green Carpet Connecting Living Areas,” ahead of schedule. This initiative aims to expand green spaces to strengthen connectivity among parks and green areas within 15-minute living zones. The city exceeded its original target of creating 34 ha (63 sites) of urban forests, achieving 45 ha (66 sites) as of the end of 2025—equivalent to 132% of the target area.

According to research by the National Institute of Forest Science, the creation of urban forests can reduce surrounding temperatures by 3 to 7°C and increase humidity by 9 to 23%, thereby mitigating urban heat island effects.

Furthermore, ten years after establishing buffer forests between industrial complexes and residential areas, fine dust levels were reduced by 32% in industrial complexes and by 46.8% in nearby residential areas.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “To make Busan a city where people would want to live even if they were born again, we will continue to expand urban forests so that citizens can safely and happily enjoy green spaces anywhere in the city.”